Saturday, 8 September 2012

I have not been able to get any worthwhile still or video pictures recently as the animals and weather have not been co-operating.

Visual observations tell us that there are at least 3 Roe deer does living in harmony. One has quite young twin fawns, one has a slightly older fawn and the third maybe last year's fawn. They appear together occasionally and all fled together when they saw me yesterday morning.

This morning there were 2 Roe stags together.

We are having a lovely warm and sunny spell of weather but the early mornings have very heavy dew which has rather spoilt today's video.
It is of a Muntjac doe who is very wary of the camera and eventually flees without passing it.
I will have to try to remove or mask my scent.

A badger was also seen swiftly passing. I still have no idea where their set is.

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

The woodland folk appear to have had a quiet night in the security of the woods as the humans were making strange nocturnal noises for the Paralympic Torch parade which was due to pass the woods about 2230 but actually did not pass until after midnight.

I did, however, catch Mum Roe Deer hurrying the kids home and a curious Muntjac just on dawn.

The wheat field has also had all the straw bailed late in the evening through to darkness. I thought that would disturb the animals but I noticed the stag Roe tucking into the unharvested corn whilst the bailer was still working in the field.

We also cut back the Mock Orange bush in the garden and recovered this tiny nest just slightly larger than a tennis ball.

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

I have given the wild life in the fields a rest from my intrusive camera for a while and have been cutting back the excessive growth of the hedges.

There were so many nests this Spring that I was just not allowed to make the early cut so this late summer cut has been massive. All went well, if slowly until I cut back the grape vine close to the house. It appears that Walter and Winny Wood pigeon have set up in there with a second nest and a third brood. (Left)

They were not pleased to see me.

I have also taken a shot (left) of the clearly visible deer path through the wheat field. It is only about 10inches wide and joins the Tractor wheel routes which act as major highways through the field (above). I would love to leave the camera at the junction but as the farmer must soon harvest the crop I cannot risk it.

The shot on the left shows the wheat which has been eaten. This is where I shot the video of this year's Roe Deer Fawns.

Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Yesterday afternoon and evening found two Roe deer fawns close to the camera. They are, as yesterday, shorter than the wheat which means they can only be less than about 24 inches when standing normally. They are very wary and curious and at one stage the young buck actually rocked the camera even though it was fixed to a permanent fence post.

I have had fun editing the available footage and included some still shots, partly because they were so good and partly because the rabbit managed to avoid getting caught on video and the badger's still showed his best view unless you are in to watching his rear end from above.

I will put the video on You tube as I think you get to see it in slightly better quality there. Use this link to see it:-

Monday, 20 August 2012

After a wonderful "proper" English Summer's day including grandchildren in the pool we set the game camera further down the field a bit closer to the woods and were rewarded with a few better than average shots.

The badger at last slowed down enough to see that it is a big healthy looking animal.

Foxy found a cracked egg I had left and a camera shy rabbit stared into the lense in an unearthly manner.

But best of all we at last captured footage of one of this year's baby Roe Deer. Not so young now and out on its own you can clearly see that it is only as tall as the wheat (about18 inches) and thus, when in the field only the ears and occasionally the eyes can be seen above the crop.

The video is silent and any sound effects you hear, Evelyn, are coming from your own dog!

Friday, 17 August 2012

Yesterday the camera fired 126 times. It was looking closely at a well established game path through and along the edge of the wheat field where previously I have captured Deer, Badgers and Foxes.
It would appear that most of the wild life has gone on holiday. There was a fleeting flash of a fox passing at 4.19am but apart from that the action has moved to a frustratingly tiny mouse.
Well I think it is a mouse but it is testing both camera and eyesight to the limit.
What do you think it is? I offer a slowed down sample of the best 37 seconds. Yes these really are the best bits!

The video is silent.

Must also note that yesterday Transport for London announced that they are terminating the PFI Power Contract after only 15 of the 30 years it had to run. What a disaster for London Underground. The only good thing has been that I have enjoyed 11 years of early retirement.

Thursday, 16 August 2012

The dog fox visited for 33 minutes last night and, thanks to a sprinkling of stale cat biscuits, he managed to pose in the centre of the camera shot.

The following video contains the best bits. It is silent.

There have been no recordings of any deer or badgers for some nights although the deer have been glimpsed during the day. It is harvest time and some crops in the Chiltern hills have been gathered in. It has also been windy so the animals may all be wary and well fed.

Sunday, 12 August 2012

My ducks occasionally lay an egg. They are quite random in where these are left so every so often I have to remove them before they become a health hazard.
So yesterday afternoon I had 4 or 5 such eggs and decided to leave them on the edge of the field within range of the Camera.

A Fox had a nice meal, but not all in one go as you might expect. He is seen first visiting just before 10pm and makes numerous short visits until he is disturbed by my dog Barney just before 11pm.

He is seen several times at a distance in the wheat but by 1am he has regained his confidence and eats at ease

Tuesday, 7 August 2012

Another quiet day with the camera in this position directly at the end of the Garden.

I am pretty sure our wild life is very well fed at the moment and does not have to spend long searching for something tasty close to human activity however I did get a reasonable close up of a Magpie and a Badger zoomed past at 3.20am.

I have some peanuts to hide in that grass now so we will see if that will slow the Badgers down long enough to get a decent shot or two.

Sunday, 5 August 2012

Last night I tried to encourage the carnivours into shot without success.
One loan Muntjac passed almost out of shot and the lens fogged up at about 4am when the temperature fell.
So nothing to report.
Perhaps all the wildlife was watching the London olympics on TV too.

Friday, 3 August 2012

You can see from this video that the location of the camera last night was selected with care at the far end of the deer path across the crop and with my assistant I was able to check that all was set correctly:-

Unfortunately the local residents were thin on the ground and very fast moving so the pictures are dissappointing.

I had set the camera to take 2 stills before starting the video. Not a good idea as that was enough time for the Badgers to move from one side of the view field to the other. Hence blank Video.

It is clear that the Brocks are heading from right to left just after midnight and back again after 3am.

If I choose enough locations over the next few weeks I might be able to work out where they are coming from and going to. Think I need to invest in some peanuts.

Wednesday, 1 August 2012

I have come back in order to compile and share the photographic and video images I am getting with my new Game trail camera in and around my garden and adjacent field.

Hope you enjoy it.

The trouble with wild life photography, as an amateur, is that it is so difficult to get close enough to the timid animals that photography and video can be rather poor quality.

The Game camera solves that problem because it is left to operate automatically, started by the wildlife and stopped after a predetermined time.

Less than a week after reading the instructions I got this:-

That night we also got another tantalising view of a Badger. After 25 years residence here you would think we would have known there were badgers about but the only indication we have ever had is the occasional destruction of wasps nests that had been built in rabbit holes. Research suggested that in the UK only badgers do this (to feed on the Wasp grubs)﻿.

Tonight I have tried to position the camera to get a better view of the Badger path but it is quite windy so the Camera may be triggered by moving grass / wheat and I may just get a load of rejects. It will be fun though.﻿